Placer machine



Aug. 4, 1936. A. LAMBERSON 2,049,962

I PLACER MACHINE I Filed Feb. 14, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet l Invenlor 4, 3 L. A. LAMBERSON 2,049,952

PLACER MACHINE Filed Feb. 14-, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenlor .Z. filo/2355mm g mmm Aug. 4, 1936. 1.. A. LAMBERSON 2,049,952

' I PLACER MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 19:55 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor vZ. 42. Jamie raw Aug. 4, 1936- A. LAMBEIQSON fil'fi mv PLACER MACHINE Filed Feb. 14, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor I. 1. Zamfla IJ0/7 By 2mm.

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE PLACER MACHINE Leslie A. Lamberson, Lander, Wyo., assignor of one-half to Eva G. Lamberson, Lander, Wyo., and one-half to R. F. Granger, Denver, 0010.

Application February 14, 1935, Serial No. 6,567

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a placer machine or ore concentrator and an object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be easily transported from place to place 5 and which will be found especially adapted for use in placer mining.

vThe invention, together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description, taken in connection 10 with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of one side of the machine.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of an opposite 15 side of the machine,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the concentrator trough or drum.

Figure 5 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the grizzly screen 29 or riffle rack.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough,

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view through said grizzly screen or rack.

25 Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, it will be seen that l indicates generally a frame or chassis supported at the front and rear thereof by suitable Wheels I I.

Rising from the frame I0 is a skeleton frame 30 structure l2 which at the front and rear ends thereof is provided with supports I3 and I4 supporting clamps l and Hi, the clamp [6 being disposed in a higher plane than the clamp l5. A rod I! is supported at an incline and has the 5 ends thereof secured by the clamps l5 and 16. From the rod ll thereis suspended for rocking movement relative thereto" the concentrator trough or drum l8 into which the dirt, gravel and clay carrying the ore are introduced through 40 a hopper l9 suitably mounted on one end of the drum.

For causing the drum l8 torock laterally back and forth, there is secured to the open top side of the drum a transverse bar 20 which, at one 45 end, is connected through the medium of a connecting rod 2! with an arm 22a on one end of a suitably mounted shaft 22 that is driven from a second shaft 23 through the medium of belt and pulley means 24.

5 As the gravel, clay, and dirt pass through the drum I8, they are thoroughly washed by water supplied to the drum from a suitable source of supply through the medium of piping 25 an pump 26.

55 The material is discharged from the lower end of the drum I 8 onto a chute 24, and by this chute delivered to the riflle rack or grizzly screen indicated generally by the reference numeral 28.

The screen 28 is suspended by suitable sus-, I pension means 29 and this screen includes, as 5 clearly shown in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, a trough section 30 having a bottom 3! provided for the greater portion of the length thereof with a depression 3%, and at the end thereof remote from the depression 3la there arises from the bottom 3| an end flange or wall 32.

The raised portion of the bottom 3| is pro- Vided with corrugations 33, and arranged in the recessed or lowered portion am of the bottom is a screen or rifile 34 that is secured in position through the medium of cleats 35 and pivoted thumb members 36 that engage the sides or flanges of the riflle 34. The riifie elements per se of the riflle assembly 34 are disposed at a suitable angle to the bottom of the rifile assembly and are so inclined and spaced as to force the gold particles towards the center. In this connection, it will be noted that beneath rifile 34 there is a mat of suitable rubber or rubber composition so as to provide a suitable surface for the precious metals which accumulate in the spaces between the rifiles.

The tailings discharging from the vibrating or reciprocating riflle assembly 28 are received on a power driven elevator 3'! of suitable form and construction that extends upwardly and outwardly as shown. The elevator is driven from a suitably mounted shaft 38 through gearing 39 and this shaft 38 is driven through the medium of belt and pulley means 40 from a shaft 4!. The shaft 4| is in turn driven through the medium of belt and pulley means 42 from the shaft 23 that in turn is driven by belt and pulley means 23a from a suitable motor or prime mover 43. The aforementioned pump 26 is driven from the shaft 23 through the medium of belt and pulley means 45.

For reciprocating the grizzly screen or riflie assembly 28 there is suitably provided on the shaft 23 a cam or eccentric member 46 about which is disposed an eccentric band 41 having extending therefrom an angular arm 48 secured to a rod 49 that is pivoted at one end as at 50 to a lug on the bottom of the trough member 30 of said rifile or grizzly screen.

For taking care of the large rock that may 50 spill out of the drum IS the chute 21 has a branch 21a thereof leading therefrom to an inclined trough 5| mounted at one side of the aforementioned skeleton frame structure.

The waste water collects in a transverse trough 52 and from this trough enters into a tank 53 that may be placed at one side of the device and from which the water may be drawn through piping 54 by the pump 26 to be used over and over again.

Referring again to the drum 3, it will be seen that the same has the trough I9 thereof formed integral therewith and extending across the top of the trough are straps 55 provided on their under sides with bearings 56 for accommodating the rod [1 whereby provision ismade for rockably suspending the drum from said rod.

Arranged within the drum is a false bottom structure 51 that is suitably secured in the drum and spaced from the bottom and side walls of the drum. At one end the false bottom is provided with perforations 58 through which the gold,

when washed loose from the gravel and the like, passes into the space between the bottom of the drum and said false bottom. From this space, the fine particles of precious metal pass through the perforations 58 onto the aforementioned chute 21 to be guided thereby onto the riffle or grizzly screen assembly.

To thoroughly agitate and grind the clay and other sticky substance thereby serving to the better separate the precious metal from the foreign substance, the false bottom 51 is provided with a plurality of haphazardly arranged projections 60.

What is claimed is:

In a placer machine, an oscillating trough provided adjacent one end thereof with a series of perforations, and a false bottom arranged in the trough and spaced from the bottom of the trough, said false bottom being provided adjacent one end with perforations, said false bottom between said perforations and the ends thereof remote from the perforations being also provided with a series of projections for subjecting the contents of the trough to a grinding action.

LESLIE A. LAMBERSON. 

